Floods: Anambra committee denies rape at camps

The Anambra State Committee on Flood Victims yesterday denied a report that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were being raped in the 25 camps.

The committee, which is headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Oselloka Obaze, also denied a rumour that robbers invaded the camps to steal the relief materials donated by some individuals and corporate organisations.

At a joint media briefing in Awka, the state capital, the Commissioner for Local Governments, Lady Azuka Enemuo said the claims were baseless and unfounded.

She said: “We have put in place a solid machinery to protect life and property at the camps created by the Peter Obi administration. Those things happened elsewhere and not in Anambra.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof Chinyere Okunna, warned against politicising the donation and distribution of the materials.

The commissioner explained that Obi continuously appealed to the donors to channel their materials to the government for equitable distribution.

She said the committee comprises the State Executive Council (Exco) members and clerics.

Prof Okunna said the committee has been meeting daily to appraise the situation at the camps, adding that two of the eight local government areas affected were submerged.

Those submerged are Ogbaru and Anambra West.

Enemuo said the government had spent over N40million on the evacuation of the IDPs, adding that this covered the running of daily activities in the camps.

The Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Development Lady Henrietta Agbata said more materials were being expected.

The commissioner said her ministry had sent letters to church leaders in the state for assistance.

The church leaders, according to her, were outside the flooded areas.

She added that similar letters had been sent to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and corporate organizations.

The SEMA state Coordinator, Dr Nwabufo Ijezie, said five people had been confirmed dead in the floods.

He said Anambra State did not record high causalities because of the proactive measures the state took.

The committee yesterday received more relief materials from Chief John Udeagbala, who is based in Aba, Abia State.

The representative of the donor, Innocent Udeagbala, said the materials were brought to rehabilitate the IDPs.

He urged other well-meaning residents to assist the flood victims and commended Governor Peter Obi for what he had done in the state.